Some New Testament words for Prayer

by Larry Killion Landmark Sovereign Grace Baptist Pastor

Some New Testament Words for Prayer

NOUNS

SUPPLICATION

deesis (NT:1162) is always translated "supplication," or the plural, in the N.T.

To beg or beseech. 1Tim. 2:1, 5:5, Heb.5:7, Phil.4:6, Eph.6:18, Acts 1:14.

PRAYER, PRAY

proseuche (NT:4335) denotes (a)asking in "prayer" (to God), the most frequent term. Matt 21:22; Luke 6:12. In James 5:17, "He prayed fervently," lit., "he prayed with prayer" (a Hebraistic form); Eph 6:18; Phil 4:6; 1 Tim 2:1; 5:5; (b) "a place of prayer," Acts 16:13,16, a place outside the city wall.

INTERCESSION

enteuxis ( NT:1783) is translated "prayer" in 1 Tim 4:5; To meet with as a come between.

Notes: (1) Proseuche is used of "prayer" in general; deesis stresses the sense of need; it is used sometimes of request from man to man. (2) In the papyri enteuxis is the regular word for a petition to a superior. (3) "Prayer is properly addressed to God the Father Matt 6:6; John 16:23; Eph 1:17; 3:14, and the Son, Acts 7:59; 2 Cor 12:8; but in no instance in the NT is prayer addressed to the Holy Spirit distinctively, for whereas the Father is in Heaven, Matt 6:9, and the Son is at His right hand, Rom 8:34, the Holy Spirit is in and with the believers, John 14:16,17.

PRAYER, VOW

euche ( NT:2171), denotes "a prayer," James 5:15; "a vow," Acts 18:18 and 21:23.

"Prayer is to be offered in the Name of the Lord Jesus, John 14:13, that is, the prayer must accord with His character, and must be presented in the same spirit of dependence and submission that marked Him, Matt 11:26; Luke 22:42.

"The Holy Spirit, being the sole interpreter of the needs of the human heart, makes His intercession therein; and inasmuch as prayer is impossible to man apart from His help, Rom 8:26, believers are exhorted to pray at all seasons in the Spirit, Eph 6:18; cf. Jude 20, and James 5:16, the last clause of which should probably be read 'the inwrought [i. e., by the Holy Spirit] supplication of a righteous man availeth much' (or 'greatly prevails' ischuo, as in Acts 19:16,20).

"None the less on this account is the understanding to be engaged in prayer, 1 Cor 14:15, and the will, Col 4:12; Acts 12:5 and so in Luke 22:44.

"Faith is essential to prayer, Matt 21:22; Mark 11:24; James 1:5-8, for faith is the recognition of, and the committal of ourselves and our matters to, the faithfulness of God.

VERBS

TO PRAY, WISH, or WOULD

euchomai ( NT:2172), "to pray (to God)," is used with this meaning in 2 Cor 13:7; v. 9, James 5:16; 3 John 2. Even when the RV and KJV translate by "I would," in Acts 26:29, or "wished for," in Acts 27:29 (RV, marg., "prayed"), or "could wish," Rom 9:3 (RV, marg., "could pray"), and so, the indication is that "prayer" is involved

TO PRAY

proseuchomai ( NT:4336), "to pray," is always used of "prayer" to God, and is the most frequent word in this respect, especially in the Synoptists and Acts, once in Rom 8:26; in Eph 6:18; in Phil 1:9; in 1 Tim 2:8; in Heb 13:18; in Jude 20. For the injunction in 1 Thess 5:17.

TO ASK

erotao (NT:2065), "to ask," is translated by the verb to pray in Luke 14:18,19; 16:27; John 4:31; 14:16; 16:26; 17:9,15,20; in Acts 23:18, RV, "asked" (KJV "prayed"); in 1 John 5:16, RV, "should make request" (KJV "shall pray").

TO DESIRE

deomai (NT:1189), "to desire," in 2 Cor 5:20; 8:4, RV, "beseech" (KJV, "pray

Notes: (1) Parakaleo, "to call to one's aid," is rendered by the verb "to pray" in the KJV in the following: Matt 26:53 (RV, "beseech"); so Mark 5:17,18; Acts 16:9; in 24:4, RV, "intreat"; in 27:34, RV, "beseech." (2) In 1 Thess 5:23 and 2 Tim 4:16, there is no word in the original for "I pray," see the RV.

THANKSGIVING, GRACE

Nouns.

1. charis (NT:5485), for the meanings of which see GRACE, it is rendered "thank" in Luke 6:32,33,34; in 17:9, "doth he thank" is lit., "hath he thanks to"; it is rendered "thanks (be to God)" in Rom 6:17, RV (KJV, "God be thanked"); "thanks" in 1 Cor 15:57; in 1 Tim 1:12 and 2 Tim 1:3, "I thank" is, lit., "I have thanks"; "thankworthy," 1 Peter 2:19, KJV (RV, "acceptable").

2. eucharistia (NT:2169), eu, "well," charizomai, "to give freely" (Eng., "eucharist"), denotes (a) "gratitude," "thankfulness," Acts 24:3; (b) "giving of thanks, thanksgiving," 1 Cor 14:16; 2 Cor 4:15; 9:11,12 (plur.); Eph 5:4; Phil 4:6; Col 2:7; 4:2; 1 Thess 3:9 ("thanks"); 1 Tim 2:1 (plur.); 4:3,4; 4:9, "thanks"; 7:12.

TO THANK, CONFESS, PRAISE

Verbs.

1. eucharisteo ( NT:2168), "to give thanks," (a) is said of Christ, Matt 15:36; 26:27; Mark 8:6; 14:23; Luke 22:17,19; John 6:11,23; 11:41; 1 Cor 11:24; (b) of the Pharisee in Luke 18:11 in his selfcomplacent prayer; (c) is used by Paul at the beginning of all his epistles, except 2 Cor. (see, however, eulogetos in 1:3), Galatians, 1 Timothy, 2 Tim. and Titus. (1) for his readers, Rom 1:8; Eph 1:16; Col 1:3; 1 Thess 1:2; 2 Thess 1:3 (cf. 2:13); virtually so in Philem 4; (2) for fellowship shown, Phil 1:3; (3) for God's gifts to them, 1 Cor 1:4; (d) is recorded (1) of Paul elsewhere, Acts 27:35; 28:15; Rom 7:25; 1 Cor 1:14; 14:18; (2) of Paul and others, Rom 16:4; 1 Thess 2:13; of himself, representatively, as a practice, 1 Cor 10:30; (3) of others, Luke 17:16; Rom 14:6 (twice); 1 Cor 14:17; Rev 11:17; (e) is used in admonitions to the saints, the Name of the Lord Jesus suggesting His character and example, Eph 5:20; Col 1:12; 3:17; 1 Thess 5:18; (f) as the expression of a purpose, 2 Cor 1:11, RV; (g) negatively of the ungodly, Rom 1:21. "Thanksgiving" is the expression of joy Godward, and is therefore the fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22; believers are encouraged to abound in it (e. g., Col 2:7, and see C, below).

2. exomologeo (NT:1843), in the middle voice, signifies "to make acknowledgment," whether of sins (to confess), or in the honor of a person, as in Rom 14:11; 15:9 (in some mss. in Rev 3:5); this is the significance in the Lord's address to the Father, "I thank (Thee)," in Matt 11:25 and Luke 10:21, the meaning being "I make thankful confession" or "I make acknowledgment with praise."

3. anthomologeomai (NT:437), "to acknowledge fully, to celebrate fully in praise with thanksgiving," is used of Anna in Luke 2:38.

Note: For homologeo, rendered "giving thanks" in Heb 13:15 (RV, "make confession"),